Port Gamble General Store -- a real prize!

Vignette outside the General Store
-- definitely a happy place.

I had a delightful day in a delightful historic town yesterday when I went to Port Gamble with a friend to shop, eat and pick up a gift basket that I won!

A couple of weeks ago, I happened to wander into the Port Gamble General Store when they were having a Christmas open house. They were passing out door prize tickets, so I filled one out and deposited it and didn't give it a second thought.

THEN I got a call from one of the new owners, Juan, this week that I had won a gift basket full of goodies from the store! So I hustled back and was presented it by Greg and had a nice chat with him about Port Gamble, the store and the shell museum on the store's second floor.

The basket was crammed with all sorts of wonderful products from the store, from a heavenly smelling lotion bar to candles, chocolate, Christmas decorations, fun socks, journals and much more.

I love the "Resting Snack Face" bag!

The free shell museum features one of the largest displays of shells in the world and is truly amazing (and colorful). It started as a high school biology project and has continued to grow over the past 40 years with a collection representing 40 different countries (according to a google reference). The Sea and Shore Museum is its official name and it is a non-profit organization.

Equally amazing are the cakes at the Butcher and Baker restaurant in town. Decisions, decisions -- and the towering coconut cake won.

The giant cookies were also tempting. 

Thus fortified, we toddled into the Quilted Strait, where my mission was to buy some bright fabric to supplement my stash so I can make a baby quilt for a niece's third daughter.

Quilt on display at the Quilted Strait.

The main colors in the baby's room are purple and green, and I found the perfect fabric! I've also read that circles make people happy (I already knew that), so I hope these dots will make the baby smile. 

This big splashy flower print is my focus fabric, and I'll alternate it with bright pieced blocks, either in a basket or star design. 

The prints below were already in my stash, but one can never have too many happy colors.

There were even happy circles outside the quilt shop, with these soft pink berries.

After washing the fabric, I gathered these loose threads for a photo. It's going to be a happy quilt!

Have a colorful day